How to Make the Most of Your Waiting Time as a Parent

As a parent, I spend a lot of time waiting. Whether I’m waiting for my child to finish his sports or music lesson or another appointment, I have a lot of time to kill.

But these parent-waiting moments don’t have to be boring. They can be an opportunity to relax and reset before we are ready to receive them again.

Join me as I share how I turned these moments into something I look forward to.

Creative Ways to Make the Most of Waiting

I often see fellow parents waiting in their cars for their kids. How do they pass the time?

Do they have a creative way to spend these waiting periods? Are they on work calls or running more errands?

A large part of my life revolves around my child’s activities. Instead of dreading waiting for him, I decided to get creative.

I came up with various things I could do to relax and rejuvenate instead of waiting for the clock to tick.

1. Meditation Session

When I have at least twenty minutes of waiting time, I use it for meditation. I do a short body scan to help relax my face, shoulders, and various parts of my body.

It’s a great way to relax my jaw muscles and loosen my shoulders. Only when I do the body scan do I realize how tense and stiff I have been. I follow it by focusing on my in-breath and out-breath.

On other days, I use guided meditations by experts like Jack Kornfield and Thich Nhat Hanh.

2. Running/Walking

An hour or more waiting period is ideal for running or walking. Running with inspirational music is a great mood booster.

When I am too tired to run, I walk and listen to my favorite podcasts, which is also a special treat.

3. Reading

Some days, I am too tired to leave my car while waiting. So I sit crisscross with a book on my lap. I learned that I need to be careful where I park while I do this.

As I buried my head in my book one day, something swooped in through the passenger window and struck me. Was it an acorn? The pain was so intense I was in shock before realizing it was a baseball!

A parent came running onto the street to collect it and apologize. Rest assured, I no longer park by the house where the kid plays baseball in the backyard.

4. Journaling

Fifteen minutes is excellent for a quick journaling session. It’s a perfect way to unwind and even spark new ideas! I wrote the first draft of this article while my son was swimming!

I use my phone to jot down my thoughts, and thanks to Google Cloud, my journal is accessible from anywhere.

5. Entertainment

I will not pretend to be productive about every minute I spend waiting. I want to shut off my mind some days, so I turn to my phone. I pick my favorite show and use it to unwind and laugh.

Reset Your Mind, Transform Your Day

As parents, our lives are full of in-between moments. But with some creativity, we can transform these precious pockets of time into opportunities to relax, reset, or grow.

What will you do while you wait? Pause and make a list of things that you enjoy and bring you calm. Include them in your waiting routine and change your mood and day for the better.